How grants will be assessed

The Exeter Community Forum Grass Roots Grants Panelwill assess applications and make initial funding decisions and recommendations. It’s recommendations will be subject to ratification by the Exeter City Council Executive and then the Full Council where Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy or other council-disbursed funds are involved.

All applications will be scored and assessed against the following criteria:

Addresses one or more of the priorities and criteria identified by Exeter Community Forum, and/or the Community Strategy, and/or a local community or neighbourhood plan.

Provides evidence of local consultation, need and local strengths and opportunities. You can also look at the consultation feedback gathered as part of the community strategy development on the Exeter Community Forum website.

Provides evidence of seeking local support. For example this may include other community organisations, community interest groups, e.g. young people, minority ethnic communities etc, where relevant, Surveys, Community Organisers where relevant or local Councillor/s.

Provides evidence of working together with others and the community.

What difference you plan to make in your community or to the local environment and how you plan to measure this. We will expect organisations receiving grants to measure a number of things which will contribute to our assessment of the impact of the community strategy across the city – for example number of volunteer hours.

Provides evidence of the viability of the overall project. So, for example, we will consider things like: is there a good team running the project, is the project thought through, does it have enough funds to do the work, will it make the difference you are aiming to make.

Commitment to provide match funding, for example: Cash contribution through fundraising activities, crowdfunding, another funder or contribution from a partner organisation(s) and/or Social capital or in-kind contribution i.e.: volunteer hours, expert input, use of building.

Please note that the fund is expected to be oversubscribed; therefore applications may not be successful even if they satisfy all of the criteria.

Organisations receiving a grant will be expected to contribute towards evaluation of the programme and publicity by Exeter Community Forum and Exeter City Council about the grant.